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At a Seattle, Wash., school that has, for years, sought to offer more nutritious foods for school meals, students have embraced healthier versions of foods, such as corn dogs. However, some students are not choosing to eat fruits and vegetables offered on a healthy snack bar. "We encourage students to make healthy choices and we educated them on what those fruits and vegetables are. And we hope that they'll pick what they're going to eat [from] the bar but we can't make them consume it," said Chris Neal, director of nutrition services for the district.

Former restaurant chef Sasha Seymour has released a cookbook dedicated to new superfood, coconut. Seymour, who claims the fruit speeds up metabolism and lowers cholesterol, uses coconut oil, coconut sugar and coconut milk to create nutritious dishes such as pumpkin spice muffins and coconut-braised whiskey ribs.

Quickservice chains saw a double-digit jump in sales over the past 12 months, and profit margins now stand at a relatively healthy 4.6%, numbers that have spurred hiring in major metro markets, according to several sources. But those numbers don't tell the whole story, as chains struggle with higher ingredient prices and continued consumer belt-tightening, said NPD Group's Bonnie Riggs.

A push in a Pennsylvania school district to serve healthier school meals has the support of parents who are concerned about climbing obesity rates. Some, however, question whether removing junk food from schools deprives students -- even those in elementary school -- of learning to make their own choices at lunch time.

Taxi drivers in New York City are a valuable resource for people who want to eat in restaurants that reflect the city's neighborhoods and ethnic diversity. Layne Mosler, a food writer and cabbie, says taxi drivers will sometimes take her inside the restaurants they recommend, introduce her to the manager and even order for her.